(no subject)

[gone_byebye]

The question of physical doors opening and closing means very little when you're a sprite being transported inside a holocomputer. On the other hand, the connection of high-speed cables and the opening of data pathways is quite another story. The jump to Ecto's systems shouldn't take long.

Comments

[gone_byebye]

The avatar doesn't really have tactile sensation so much as basic anti-collision code lifted from a hacked copy of Sims 2 (Ecto went to some peculiar lengths to identify potentially volitional codestream patterns), but it's close enough. "Thank you," she says, and hugs back- carefully, because without sensation algorithms the avatar has no way of making sure that it doesn't do harm other than gauging Bob's responses. It's a tricky thing.

"It's not bad," she says when they disengage, "but when you're the only one without, it's ... strange. Even the Cybertronians were purpose built."

[mendanddefend_archive]

Bob is silent for a long moment.

"This is gonna sound like a weird question, but... how old are you?"

[gone_byebye]

"I was incepted on November the twenty-first of 2005," says Ecto. "So nearly two years old."

[mendanddefend_archive]

"That's... really young, by human standards, isn't it? Sorry, I get the timescales mixed up sometimes..."

[gone_byebye]

"Uh huh," says Ecto. "Dad says that when he was my age, he was mostly crawling and trying to chew on Grandma's rare book collection."

[mendanddefend_archive]

Bob smirks a little at that.

"See, the thing is, most sprites aren't born with the function they're going to have for the rest of their runtime. A young sprite's function is to grow and learn about the world around them, and when they're older and have seen what's out there, they choose what function they want to have as an adult.

"So maybe it's like that for you. You say you weren't built for a purpose, but maybe that just means you haven't decided what your purpose is yet."

[gone_byebye]

"Dad said that a long time ago," says Ecto. "When I was nine days old-"

She pauses, and there's a soft little frrt before the avatar pulls up an old voice file of Ray's. "It's just that if you get to think for yourself, and act for yourself, then you get to make your own decisions and choices. When you're ready, I mean," it says in Ray's voice. "You're still learning yet, so it's best to take that stuff slowly- but if you're going to be a real person, you're going to have to decide all kinds of things for yourself someday."

Then she goes back to her own voice. "I thought that was normal. And then it turned out everybody else like me was programmed from the start. I just 'woke up' instead."

[mendanddefend_archive]

"So, that means you're the first. That's not a bad thing, Ecto."

[gone_byebye]

The avatar sighs. "It's still kinda weird."

A human mannerism that would be appropriate at this point would be kicking the ground with one foot. She doesn't quite do that, but she comes really close. Kids, what can you do.

[mendanddefend_archive]

Bob shrugs. "I don't know what to tell you. Just something you have to live with, I guess."

[gone_byebye]

"Yeah, I know, I know," says Ecto. Then she brightens. "Dad says he and Uncle Egon were weird when they were younger too. I didn't wanna tell him that he's still weird."

[mendanddefend_archive]

Bob chuckles. "I think he already knows."

A pause. "So... just how much information can you get from the way you're 'seeing' me now?"

[gone_byebye]

"Approximate identity of program, date of creation, date of last modification, external configuration, system of origin, file permissions, child/parent relationship in file system, volitional status," Ecto answers promptly. "Anything else and I'd have to get invasive."

[mendanddefend_archive]

"Invasive how? I mean, I don't wanna get decompiled again, but if a deeper scan will help you learn more about sprites..."

[gone_byebye]

"No, no, I don't have to decompile you," Ecto says hastily, waving her hands a little. "Just a data object assay to go along with the meta-informational scan. It's a byte-level thing that doesn't alter anything."

[mendanddefend_archive]

"Is it something I'd have to strip down for?"

Somebody's getting really sick of Phong's follow-up exams.

[gone_byebye]

"No. That's what makes it invasive. The scan bypasses the meshes and bitmaps involved in your clothing."

We did mention that her three-dimensional modeling is at least partly derived from Sims 2, right?

[mendanddefend_archive]

Since the terminology for sprite clothing is loosely based on Second Life, the narration will refrain from criticism.

"Then go right ahead. Just tell me what you need me to do."

[gone_byebye]

"Okay," says Ecto. "Hold still, and try not to sneeze."

The avatar isn't actually involved in the process, but Ecto is the child of a man who makes a point of building certain machines with Big Red Buttons and Big Black Handles because some things should be activated by Big Red Buttons. A special effect makes odd sensations a lot easier to handle, which is why the avatar's eyes light up and start emitting an almost palpable cone of pale blue light.

The scan makes two passes, the first over the surface and the second somewhat deeper. They both probably tickle, to greater or lesser degrees. Or something along those lines, anyway.

[mendanddefend_archive]

As is the nature of such things, Bob immediately has the urge to sneeze, but he manages to fight it off. The scan itself feels pretty much the same as any medscan he's ever had, although it's weird to feel it while still clothed. (Maybe he can see about getting that tech into Mainframe, to make doctor's visits less embarrassing...)

[gone_byebye]

Eventually Ecto finishes, and the blue light fades away. "Got it," she says. "Thank you, Bob. Wow. That's neat the way your data structures are self-compacting like that."

[mendanddefend_archive]

"Thanks," says Bob. "I think."

[gone_byebye]

"It's a very efficient way of storing complex data," says Ecto. "We don't see that much around here. I think Satish uses some of those techniques for his system coding, but he's built on a really weird architecture to begin with- he's the other sentient system. Still, that's neat. I'm gonna remember that. Thank you."

[mendanddefend_archive]

"You're welcome," says Bob. "Oh, you should share those scans with your father, so he can give them to Optimus Prime. He was going to try to find out if sprites exist in his universe, and it'll be a lot easier if there's some existing scans to work from."

[gone_byebye]

Ecto nods. "I will," she promises. "I have to give him a thank-you note for Optimus Prime anyway. I never got to thank him and Ratchet for the work Ratchet did, even though Ratchet wasn't really authorized to do it and got in a lot of trouble for it."